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Thursday, 9 February 2017

Rivers Election: We Are yet to Receive Report From Police on alleged bribe -INEC

The police report on rivers
election coming with allegations against its officials, the Independent
National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, said it was yet to receive the
report of the Inspector General of Police (IGP) Investigative Panel on the
December 10, 2016 re-run polls in Rivers State.

The panel, which was constituted by
the police high command, submitted its report to the Inspector General of
Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris on Tuesday, in Abuja.

The report said N111 million ‘bribe
money’ was recovered from 23 INEC officials who participated in the elections.

The recovered cash was displayed
during the presentation of the report at police headquarters.

INEC’s Director of Voter Education
and Publicity, Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), in
Abuja, that the Commission had not been briefed on the report.

He said if availed of the report,
INEC would support processes to prosecute officials who were bribed.

Chairman of the panel, a Deputy
Commissioner of Police, Damian Okoro, made the allegation when he presented the
team’s report to the IGP.

He alleged that three senior INEC
officials collected N20 million each out of the N360 million allegedly given to
key officials by the Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, while other officials
received N15 million each.

Osaze-Uzzi said: “We await the
police report; just like everybody saw it in the media, that was how we also
saw it. As at today, they have not communicated to say this is the report.

“We know the panel has submitted
report to the IGP, maybe, he will study it and avail us with the report if need
be.”

The director said the Commission
would allow the law to take its course on any of INEC staff indicted in the
alleged bribe.

“If any of our staff has been found
culpable, we will deal with him appropriately and then allow the law to take
its course

“If they are charged to court, then
normal administrative process will follow.

“If they are convicted, necessary
action will be taken. If they are not convicted, we will examine if they have
committed any administrative breach.

“If they have committed any administrative
breach, we will deal with that administratively, while the police will deal with
the criminal aspect of it.”

He said the commission had been
cooperating with the special investigative panel and the police on the matter.